Selling Sustainability to the Masses: From Decline to Green Growth in Barnsley and Beyond – ReGen Write Up

Given that sustainability is uniting every region, sector and industry leader under one roof at this year’s ReGeneration Earth conference, one question stood out:

“How do we sell sustainability to the masses?”

Taking her place on the Innovation Stage, Kate Hutchinson, Founder and CEO of The Sustainability Community.

Her talk, titled Selling Sustainability to the Masses, was one of the first sessions of the morning, drawing delegates in quickly as conversations flowed and tables filled.

What followed was more than just a keynote. It was a personal story, rooted in place, community, and purpose. Kate described herself as the “daughter of Barnsley”, grounding her message in the heart of a former mining town.

She spoke with passion about growing up in a working-class family full of hope, surrounded by a culture that wasn’t ambitious. When the mines closed, she explained, Barnsley didn’t just lose the jobs, it lost its community, identity, and a sense of direction.

But that, she argued, is where the opportunity lies.

Turning oppression into opportunity

Kate’s message was clear.

Sustainability must be about opportunity, not sacrifice. It’s about building something better for everyone, especially in areas that have felt forgotten. She challenged the assumption that sustainability is a middle-class concern or that having a voice in the green transition is reserved for those with privilege.

Kate comments: “In a working-class community, there is still the belief that having an opinion is for someone else. But no amount of money gives you more right to speak up.”

She also highlighted the gap is growing between the rich and the poor, and how climate action must close that gap, not widen it. For her, the answer lies in green jobs, skills training and conversations that invite people in rather than leave them out.

The speech was heavy on stats. It didn’t need to be. Kate’s story – her truth and lived experience – resonated in a way that cut through the noise.

Importantly, she ended with a call to transform loss into action.

She added: “Let’s turn every pit into a green energy project. Let’s turn every town into a hub for green skills.”

And finally, a line that brought a smile to the room and summed up her talk perfectly:

“The green economy wain’t land ‘til it speaks wi’ a Barnsley accent.”

Kate’s words stayed with many long after the session ended. In a conference filled with innovation, data, and design, her message reminded us of something simpler: for the green economy to thrive, it must feel local, inclusive and real.